We Object!
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: IchixRukia and RenjixRangiku! XD Will Rukia be executed? Will Renji defeat Byakuya? Will Aizen achieve his twisted goals? Read to find out! Warning, ending is sudden and unexpected.
1. Objection

Rukia closed her eyes and waited for the flaming Kidou **_(I THINK THAT'S HOW YA SPELL IT) _**prepared to devour her. The shinigami gave a sad sigh as she still didn't sense Ichigo or Renji coming for her. _' They're not coming. I guess this is it. This is Goodbye.' _Yamamoto riase dhis hand over his head and pointed to Rukia, hovering high above the ground.

His tone was firm as the old man spoke. "Rukia Kuchiki. You are hereby convicted of one of the highest crimes of Soul Society. You gave your powers to a human. This is forbidden, and as aresult of your foolish actions, he has now become a threat to all of us. For that, I hereby sentence you to death.

He lowered his hand and turned to face the captains and lieutenants present. "Does anyone here object to this righteous-

"WE OBJECT!"

Everyone spun around to see Ichigo and Renji standing atop the wood of the execution platform, and even from the height they were up on, everyone could tell that they were _not _happy. Byakuya narrowed his eyes as he felt their spiritual pressure skyrocket, nearing his own. _'They've gotten stronger. MUCH stronger. This might get rough.'_

Ichigo nodded to Renji, and the Abarai leapt off the wooden beam, landing in front of the assembled captains and lietunants. The look on his face was one of pure rage as he raised Zabimaru high over his head, the blade glowing red.

Ichigo turned to focus his gaze on the imprisoned Rukia. He gave her a wide grin and was about to speak, then he noticed the flaming bird. The grin immediately turned to a scowl, and his voice was dead serious as he pointed Zangetsu at the beast. "So, you're the thing that's supposed to kill Rukia?" The large butcher like blade glowed blue, then Ichigo did as well.

Rukia's eyes widened as she realized what he was doing. "Ichigo?! When did you-

The orange haired shinigami finished her sentence for her, and his spiritual pressure went through the roof as he said the one word. "Bankai!"

A blast of blue energy shot out of his blade, and it pierced the Kidou in the chest, piercing all the way through and coming out the other side. For a moment nothing happened, then the beast screeched in pain, and fell to the ground, the impact creating a large cloud of dust that enveloped all who were below.

When the smoke cleared, Ichigo saw that Renji had activated his own Bankai, and Zabimaru was protectively coiled around him, the large serpent hissing at those who stood before it, as it's red mane blew in the wind. The orange haired youth raised an eyebrow at the sight. _'Well, it looks like Renji achieved Bankai around the same time I did. Note to self: Have another fight with him soon.'_

Ichigo heard the Kidou cry out and his eyes narrowed as he saw that the wounded beast was now shooting up towards him, intent on incinerating him. The shiniagmi grinned and raised Zangetsu over his head, and Rukia noticed that it was now a long black Katana. Ichigo smiled and whispered the two words that would spell doom for the downed beast. "Getsuga Tenshou."

His blade glowed red, and a large wave of dark energy shot down towards th energaed beast. Time froze as the two forces connected with one another, then the wave slammed into the beast, driving it into the ground as the dark energy melted its fiery flesh. One minute later, there was nothing left of it but a huge scorch mark on the exectuion grounds.

Ichigo sighed, and slung his katana over his back. He then floated down to where Rukia was held, and grinned at her once more, his arrogant tone evident as he released her bonds with three rapid slashes from Zangetsu. "I told you I'd save you, didn't I?" Rukia's eyes widened, and she began to fall, but Ichigo was there, catching her in his strong arms and holding her tight.

Tears filled Rukia's eyes, and she rested her head against his chest. "Idiot."

He then ascended to the top of the execution platform, Rukia still held in his arms as their sandaled feet landed on the wood. Rukia stole a quick glance up at him, then blushed as she realized that his hands were on her waist. _'Hey! Ichigo you- _then she thought about it fro a second, and she realized that his large hands were not groping. In fact, they were stone still, simply holding her.

_'Why am I letting him hold me like this? It's not like I-_She stiffened as she realized that she couldn't even bring herself to think it. _'Are you kidding me? I can't be falling for him! I don't belong in his-_

Then she felt something wet drip onto her face. Her head snapped up, and her eyes widened as she saw him doing something she thought he'd never do in front of _anyone. _He cried. The tears fell from his brown eyes, and he made absolutely no effort at all to hold them back. His next words, choked with sobs and emotion, made her heart stop.

"You're the idiot! Do you have any _idea _how worried I was about you?!" Not thinking, he pulled her into his chest as he looked down at her. "I almost got killed while I trained to get stronger, so I could save you, and you call me an idiot?!"

Rukia felt her heart melt, she hated seeing him bent and broken like this. It made her miserable, knowing that he was like this because of her. She desperately pleaded with him to stop crying, but he didn't seem to hear her. "Ichigo! Please! I can't stand seeing you like this! STOP IT! She wailed, on the brink of tears herself.

He only cried harder, and Rukia could only think of one thing that would make him stop. And surprisingly, she actually _wanted to do it. _Without a second thought, she grabbed his face with both hands. Ichigo froze, realizing what she was about to do. Then the girl slammed her lips against his, and wrapped her slender arms around his neck.

Renji ground out a snarl amd Zabimaru hissed angrily. Renji's voice was full of fury as his gaze fell on Byakuya. "You. It's time for a rematch." Byakuya gave a tired sigh, and shook his head, his voice calm and controlled, as if he was talking to an old friend. "Renji, haven't you learned your lesson?"

Renji through back his head and laughed. "No, but you will."


	2. Battle and Confessions

Byakuya raised a black eyebrow as Renji's spiritual pressure went up again. "I suggest that the rest of you leave. I will not be held responsible for your deaths" The other captians lieutenants were more than happy to do so, and quickly vacated the execution grounds, leaving a trail of dust in their wake. Byakuya turned his attention on Renji once more, his face blank and his voice firm.

"Fine. If you want to die so badly- he drew his blade and held it over the ground, his voice grim. "Then who am I to deny you your funeral?" With that, he dropped the blade, and Renji braced himself as it began to sink into the ground, the Captain uttering one word. "Bankai."

--

Rukia was right. The instant she kissed Ichigo, the man stopped crying. And the instant she put her arms around his neck, his fingers ever so gently dug into her waist, holding her there, and preventing her from pulling away. The girl knew that she probably shouldn't be kissing him, but for some strange reason, she did _not _want to pull away at all. Part of her wanted to stay like this forever, and that half had control at the moment. And apparently, Ichigo had the same thoughts regarding the kiss, as he pulled her into him, deepening it as he gently pressed her voluptuos body against him. The girl let out a soft whimper as he did so, she was _really _starting to enjoy this kiss.

Then Rukia simply couldn't control herself anymore. She instinctively slid her tongue into his mouth, and by the time she realized what she had done, she didn't want to stop that either. Removing her lips from Ichigo's she allowed her passion to take over, and pressed her soft lips against his again and again in passionate kisses, which he was _more _than happy to respond to. The man couldn't help but smile inwardly at this unexpected, but _more_ than welcome reaction from her. _' Heh. I guess its not so bad being a softie after all..._

The orange haired shinigami felt like he was on cloud nine as they kissed time after time, their eyes now open and staring deep into each others eyes. As they broke their kiss for another one, Ichigo saw the smile on her face, as did she for him. The two shared one thought, their minds full of bliss. _'Ah, this feels GREAT..._

_--_

Renji prepared himself for the worst as the hilt of the blade disappeared into the ground, the surrounding area momentarily turning black as Byakuya's Bankai began. Renji took a deep breath to calm himself, and focused on his surroundings. _'Here it comes. But this time- _The large blades rose into the air, and Byakuya spoke the words, his face as hard as stone, his gaze as cold as ice, as was his voice. "Prepare yourself Renji. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi." Renji took another deep breath to calm himself, then let it out slowly, his stress and worries going out with it. _'This time, I know what you can do, Captain Kuchiki!' _He blurred forward, and whipped Zabimaru at the captain, all the while keeping an eye out for the deadly pink petals.

The Snake hissed as it shot toward the Kuchiki, intent on tearing him apart.

Zabimaru was nearly upon the captain, when Renji saw the first peta. His eyes narrowed as he knew what was about ot happen nextl. _'It's coming. He's using Senbonzakura again.' _No sooner had he finished this thought, than a wave of petals crashed down upon him as the darkness faded, returning the landscape to normal. To Renji, it looked like the petals were moving in slow motion, and he knew that he would easily be able to dodge the pink wave.

Last time, Renji had lost his cool, and as a result, he lost the battle. But this time, he knew Byakuya's fighting style, and he was as cool as a cucumber, easily flash stepping away from the deadly blossoms as the wave crashed down towards him again and again.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow as he saw Renji easily dodge the petals. "It would appear that you're speed has increased as well. But it will make little difference in the end. You will still-

Renji gave an exasperated sigh, hsi face and voice looking and sounding _very _annoyed. "Blah, blah, blah! Enough with the whole 'You will still lose!'" Zabimaru hissed, and finally reached the captain, and it struck him a glancing blow on the left shoulder as he attempted to doge it by sidestepping the massive snake. His Senbonzakura lashed out at the snake from every side, but the beast merely hissed in annoyance, its joints seperating and rejoining as it dodged around the Kageyoshi. The resulting delayed impact tearing off the left sleeve of Byakuya's jacket and robe, while a thin line of blodd ran down his arm. The force of the blow nearly knocked the Captain to his knees, and Renji grinned, his voice both confident,and angry at the same time.

"_You're _the one that's gonna lose here- he drew Zabimaru back in and whipped the serpent at his captain once more, the snake's white jaws open wide as it shot forward. "CAPTAIN KUCHIKI!"

--

Ichigo finally broke their kisses and held Rukia at arms length, his hands still gently resting on her waist. When he spoke, his voice still had that arrogant tone, but it was softer now, more subdued. "Well, that got me to stop crying." Rukai couldn't help it. She actually giggled at his joke. Ichigo's jaw dropped at this rare phenomenon. "EH?! Did you just giggle?!"

Rukia shot him a glare, her grey eyes burning into his own. "HEY! I may be a shinigami, but I can laugh if I want to!" Surprisingly, Ichigo just laughed. He threw back his head and laughed long and hard. Rukia stiffled a giglgle, and tried her best not to laugh, but it was just too much. Her laughter soon joined his, and it echoed throughout the grounds. They eventually lost the ability to stand, and fell back against the wood, the board creaking beneath them as they laughed.

After a few more moments of laughter, Ichigo sat up and sighed, letting out a deep breath as he did. Rukia sighed as well, and the black haired shinigami crawled behind him, and hung herself over his shoulder, her head resting gently against his as. She placed a hand on his, and their fingers intertwined ans they gave each other a reassuring squeeze, both wanting to make sure this wasn't a dream. She smiled, the warm smile that Ichigo had fallen in love with, and whispered a few simple words.

"Do you remember, Ichigo? When all of this started? When we first met?" Ichigo grinned as he nodded, running a hand through her raven black hair. "Hell yeah I remember. It's kinda hard to forget when a girl suddenly shows up in your room... He smiled as he remembered where and how he started to fall for this girl that was resting her head against his.

If anyone else asked Ichigo, he would definitely say that everything had started when he'd walked into his room to find her standing on his desk.

It probably wasn't the best way to meet somebody, but hey- Ichigo was used to seeing dead people. It was just that they those dead people usually didn't carry around swords and have the ability to send a soul straight to Soul Society with just a tap of said sword.

Now that he thought about it, metting her was ne of the best highlights of his life. If she hadn't shown up; after everything he'd seen and been through, he knew that he would have stood no chance against the hollow that had nearly destroyed his family.

He couldn't remember when he had begun to admire her, he'd been mystified by her social cluelessness and strange mannerisms, and she was always making a fool of him on purpose. _Especially _in public. Sometime along the way, admiration had somehow given way to something altogether _more_. At first he wasn't sure what to make of it, and when Rukia had been taken, and as he trained and fought to save her, he had become more and more frustrated when he couldn't figure out what the hell it was.

But know, after saving her from an execution, he finally figured it out. He whispered the words, and waited with bated breath for her response. "Rukia, I think... I think I'm in love with you." Her response was instantaneous. She grabbed hsi head with one hand and looked him square in his brown eyes, trying to determine if he meant what he had said.

Ichigo gulped nervously, he _knew _Renji once liked Rukia, and he hadn't wanted to do go and ruin h s friendship with Renji by blurting out his most closley guarded secret. After all he considered Renji a friend almost as precious as the artistically challenged girl, and he hadn't wanted to make the redhead want to kill him for admitting his feeling for Rukia...

But when Renji had found out about his for Rukia feelings after stealing his diary, he gave Ichigo his blessing and wished his friend luck. And after Ichgio stole _his _diary, he was rather amused to find out that the redhead had a crush on Rangiku, a fact that he constantly tormented him about.

She looked deep into his brown eyes, and saw no hint of deceit or trickery in them. He had meant what he said. She smiled as she whispered her response. "And I _know _that I'm in love with you."

Ichigo's eyes closed as he grinned at her. "Good. Now, c'mere." With that, he yanked her of his back, and holding her bridal style, pressed his lips against hers.


	3. Battle and Savior

Renji laughed aloud as he easily sidestepped another wave of petals, his tone mocking the elder brother of Rukia. "Come on Captain! You ain't trying yet!" The Kuuchiki's response was to raise his hands, a small smile on his face now. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to speed it up a bit then."

Renji's eyes widened as Byakuya's hands moved in a circle, and then the now _faster _Kageyoshi lashed out at him. He flash stepped away into the air, then hissed in surprise as the pink petals shot upward at him. _'It's twice as fast now!' _Again, he flash stepped away, this time to the right, and again the petals chased after him, know coming at him from the left and right.

The Abarai hissed and flash stepped up, only for yet another wave to hit him square in the back. The man bit back a cry of pain, then retracted Zabimaru, the snake swatting the petals aside. _'I can't let him hit me like that again. If he does, I'm toast.'_

Then he felt the pain increase, andRenji spat out a curse as h eangled his body and shot downard towards Byakuya, intent on killing the root of the problem. The redhead swung Zabimaru in a wide circle, and then whipped it down at the Kuchiki, a fierce grin on his face. "Let's see how ya like this captain!" Byakuya raised an eyebrow as he saw the joints of Zabimaru flash red, heading upward towards the mouth. _'What is he doing?'_

Renji grinned as he saw his captain's confusion. "Cry out... ZABIMARU!" The beast shot forward, and opened its white jaws, a red light shining from within it. That red light shot out of its mouth in the form of a huge red blast. Byakuya's eyes widened, and he flash stepped backward, but then he felt a hand on his back, stopping him cold. _'What?!'_

He looked over his shoulder to see Renji behind him, a nasty grin on his face, his voice dead serious. "Where do you think you're going? You're gonna stay right here and take my attack like a man." Byakuya snarled angrily and tried to break free of the iron grip that held him down. "Fool! It'll hit you too!"

Renji smiled sadly, and nodded. "I know. That's why I ain't taking the hit." The red blast was nearly upon them now. A red glow surrounded the redhaed Shinigami, and he released Byakuya, shoving him forward into the blast and then flash stepping away. Byakuya gave a sigh as he felt the blast begin to envelop him. "Foolish. Did he really think that this would be enough to stop me?"

His Kageyoshi whirled around him, and dug into the red blast. Nothing happened. Byakuya's eyes widened, and pure white energy formed wings behind his back. He felt his skin being burned away by Renji's attack, and he knew that he had to act quickly or die. "Endscape: Hakuieten!"

--

Renji fell to his knees, exhausted from putting all of his energy into the blast. _'If he isn't dead from that, I am so screwed.'_ He chuckled as he saw the blast tearing a large furrow in the ground, then begin to make its way over the cliff. _'Yeah. He has GOT to be dead now'_. He gave a sigh of relief as he watched Ichigo take Rukia in his arms, and leap off the wooden beam, out of harms way. _'Good... They're... okay..._

Renji felt his strength leave him, and without another word, he fell to the ground, unconscious.

--

Ichigo saw the blast tearing towards them, and he quickly held Rukia tight, his voice firm. "Hang on!" He leapt off the wooden platform, juat as the red wave slammed into it. He looked over his shoulder, surprised that the blast seemed to have suddenly stopped. Then he heard Rukia gasp, and he turned his head back just in time to see a bloody Renji fall to his knees. His eyes widened in horror as he saw blood ozzing from the redhead's back. "RENJI!"

But he had no time to worry about his best friend, as the red blast was shattered behind him. Ichigo landed on th eground and gently placed Rukia on her feet. Then the two of them turned around... and found themselves face to face with a _very angry _Bykakuya. Rukia's eyes widened, and she hid behind Ichigo, knowing what her brother could do when he was truly furious. "B-Brother, c-calm-

His eyes narrowed, and he shot forward, smacking Ichigo aside and grabbing his sister's arm, his face a mask of rage as his white wings pulsed behind him. His voice was filled with fury as he squeezed down on her wrist, and Rukia let out a cry of pain as she felt her wrist crack under the pressure of his grip. "HOW DARE YOU! You KNOW that it is forbidden to love a human, even if he is a substitue soul reaper!"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he picked himself up off the ground. _Nobody _talked to Rukia like that and got to live. _'You. Are. So. DEAD!' _In one smooth motion, he flash stepped forward, grabbing Rukia by the waist, and giving her brother a vicious headbutt to the face, causing him to wince in pain, thus loosening his grip on Rukia's wrist.

Ichigo took full advantage of this, and pulled Rukia free, while delivering a vicious kick to the man's gut, using the force of the kick to put some distance between them. They shot backwards, as did Byakuya, who held his gut in pain.

Ichigo gently placed Rukia on the ground, and let go of her. As soon as he did, the girl shook her head rapidly, and clung to his waist, burying her head in his chest. "NO! She choked out, the tears leaking from her closed eyes. "Don't let go! If you do that- she stole an nervous glance at her brother, who was just now rising to his feet. His grey eyes blzed with fury, and Rukia eeped and buried her head into his chest again.

"He'll kill me if you let go!" Ichigo stiffened as he saw that Rukia was truly terrified of her older brother. And it broke his heart to see the usually bold girl so scared. And it enraged him to no end. He protectively wrapped his arms around her and picked her up bridal style, his voice worried.

"Shit. You're right. He looks _really _mad. We need to grab Renji and get the hell out of- He froze as he heard a familiar voice behind him:

"Sit upon the frosted heavens. Hyourinamru."

Ichigo stiffened as the temperature took a nose dive and watched as a dragon of pure ice shot over his head, and wrapped around Byakuya, encasing him in ice up to his neck. He turned his head to see Toushiro, a girl he didn't know, and Rangiku standing behind him. The shingami raised an eyebrow at his unexpected rescuers as he placed Rukia down on the ground, then stretched his hand out to her, his cocky tone back again. "I think your brother is about to get in huge trouble."

She grinned and place, her confidence restored now that her brother was firmly bound in ice. "Thanks Ichigo. Thanks for everything." Her boyfriend chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "No, thank _you _Rukia. Thanks for walking into my life." Rukia blushed as he said this, and whispered back, her tone soft. "Since when did you get so formal?"

A tick mark appeared on Ichigo's head, and he struggled to repress it."So?" he leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "I can be whatever the hell I want." Then he turned to face his rescuers and raised a hand in greeting.

"Hey guys, thanks for the save." Toushiro merely nodded and walked forward, the girl faltered for a second, then followed after him, and Rangiku knelt down next to Renji and pulled out a bottle. She squeezed it, and a green gel like substance squirted out into her hand. She caught Ichigo's eye and winked.

Ichigo surpressed a laugh as he realized what the stuff was. It was a revival healing salve. The stuff worked wonders on any wound, but it hurt like hell, and it was _guarranteed _wake you up if you were out cold. He whispered into Rukia's ear, and the girl grinned evilly. _'This is gonna be good.'_

Rangiku pressed the gel against Renji's back and rubbed it in over his wounds. Then she leaned over his face and counted down from three.

As soon as she reached zero, Renji's head shot up, right into Rangiku's. In other words, their lips met.


	4. Aizen's arrival

Renji's eyes widened as his lips met Rangiku's. The poor redhead turned red himself, but before he could pull away, Rangiku placed a hand on the back of his neck and held his face where it was. The unspoken message rang loud and clear for the Abarai. She _did not _want him to move.

And so he didn't. He instead reached up and pulled _her _head down now, deepening their kiss. _'Heh, I guess almost dying ain't so bad after all..._

_--_

Toushiro shook his head as he and Hinamori neared Byakuya. His green eyes were cold and full of anger as he spoke to his fellow captain. "Captain Kuchiki. Why do you pursue your sister so doggedly? Can you not see that she is happy?" Byakuya frowned, his tone emotionless. "Her happiness does not matter. She has broken the law, she has made Ichigo Kurosaki and Renji Abarai a threat to all of Soul Society. And for that, she must die as the laws says."

Toushiro slapped his forehead in exasperation. Hinamori also shook her head and wrapped an arm around his. The man's icy guard lowered, and he smiled down at her and she up at him. _'Hinamori. I have you to thank for that. You made me see. You made me see that everything is not black and white. Evil and good. There are grey areas, exceptions, and you were the one who opened my eyes to that. Thank you.'_

Then his guard was up again, and he pointed to Ichigo. The Shinigami was laid out on the ground, and Rukia was using his chest as a pillow. The orange haired youth smiled and gently ran a hand through her hair, and Toushiro clearly;y saw him whisper 'I love you.'

The he pointed to Renji, who was being helped up by Rangiku. The redhead rose to his feet, then yelped as the salve took effect, making his wounds heal instantaneously but giving a _lot _of pain to go with them. Rangiku giggled and took his hand as he stopped yelling.

"Do you see Byakuya? Those two are not threats to anyone. They are perfectly normal shinigami. They could only be a threat to us if we made the foolish mistake of taking their loved ones away. Do you remember what Ichigo did when you took Rukia from him? He nearly killed you."

Byakuya frowned, remembering the horrible night...

(Flashback)

Bykuya turned as he felt a dark spiritual pressure behind him. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw that it was Ichigo. "Boy, stay down if you want to- he got no further, as Ichigo shot forward, his eyes yellow now, and _buried _his fist into the Captain's gut. Byakuya hissed in pain and coughed up blood, his voice confused. "What are you, Kursoaski?!" Ichigo merely snarled, and tossed him aside. Then he grabbed Ruki by the wrist and picked her up bridal style.

When he spoke, his voice was distorted, and Rukia was quite confused. "I-Ichigo?" His yellow eyes crinkled in a smile as he ran a hand through her hair. "I won't let him take you." She froze at this sudden gesture of kindness, then she saw her brother stagger to his feet. She quickly jabbed Ichigo in the gut, her voice anxious.

"RUN! Let's get out of here!" Ichigo nodded, and ran for all he had, easily outdistancing Byakuya and Renji...

(End flashback)

Byakuay shuddered. It had taken him _and _Kenpachi to find Ichigo _and_bring the hollow down. And even then, they had nearly lost when the shinigami discovered his soul slayer halfway through the fight. The combined power of a soul slayer _and _a hollow had nearly been to much for the two of them to handle, but when Renji jumped in and grabbed Rukia, it had been enough to distract Ichigo.

Then they had managed to bring the enraged hollow down, but only after Kenpachi fought at full power.

Toushiro nodded as he saw the look on his face. "Only then are they a threat. So, as a captain, I hereby pardon them of all offenses and crimes that they may or may not have committed. And if you pursue them, I will personally see to it that _you _are executed."

Byakuya gave a tired sigh and nodded."Very well. I shall pursue Rukia no more." Toushiro gave him a hard stare, then tapped the ice with one finger. It instantly shattered, freeing the trapped captain.

--

Sensing that the battle was over, everyone emerged from hiding. Inoue and Ishida emerged first, and the two griined at the sight of Rangiku applying more salve to Renji's back, while the man yelped in pain.

"OUCH! THAT HURT!"

"Hold still Ren-kun!"

Chad chuckled to himself, and then he saw Inoue stiffen. He fllowed her gaze, and it fell on Ichigo and Rukia. The tan man paled as he saw a tick mark appear on her head. _'Oh boy. This gonna be- _But before Inoue could do anything, Ishida gasped and pointed up to the sky, his voice worried and the Quincy looked nervous at what he saw. "Hey guys! Look!" Everyone's head snapped up to see a black rift being torn in the sky. It didn't open very wide actually, but when it did, a man was shot out of it like a cannon.

He shot toward the ground like a bullet, and was pounded into the dirt right at Orihime's feet, face first. The girl jumped backward in surprise, but then her curiosity took over. _'Gee, he looks really hurt. Maybe I should heal him.' _Without a second thought, she gently placed her hands on the blood soaked man and began to heal his wounds. She looked over hsi body as she did so, and noticed that most of his wounds were on his back and arms and it looke like whatever had doen this to him had long sharp claws.

The blood began to drain off him, and Inoue's jaw dropped as she saw how handsome he looked. _'Wow. He's really cute!' _The man had short blue hair, and it looked like he had a strange bone on his jaw. He wore a tattered white sleeveless jacket, and long white, baggy pants with sandals on his feet. But what was most noticealbe, were the number 6 on his back, ans well as the hole in his gut that seemed to be there naturally.

The orange glow faded, and the man raised a hand up, and she heard him mutter a few words. "Thanks... Now... can I get a hand?" The girl smiled and took it his outstretched hand, hoisting him to his feet with the help of Chad. As the man rose to his feet, he opened his closed eyes, revealing them to be a startling icy blue. Inoue blushed as she got a good look at his muscular chest, turning red as a tomato and managing to stutter out:

" M-My n-name's Orihime. W-What's your name?" The man smiled as he took her hand and kissed it. "The name's Grimmjow Jearjacques. Nice ta meet ya."

"Well, it looks like the party started without us."

Grimmjow stiffened and everyone else turned to see who had spoken.

Beofre them stood Aizen and Gin, along with Kaname. The glasses wearing man smiled and pointed to Rukia. "Sorry, but I'll be taking Rukia now."


	5. I WANT TO WIN!

Ichigo stood up and protectively wrapped an arm around Rukia's waist. "What do you mean by that?" Intsantly Byakuya was at his side, and for some reason, the elder brother of Rukia seemed different now as he spoke to Aizen. "So. You three are the one's who murdered all of Central 46." Everyone's face paled as he said this. Toushiro breathed a silent sigh of relief, glad that he had gotten Momo out of there before the slaughter had occured. _' I had no idead Aizen was going to do that. I guess it was a good thing I took her out of her there when I did.'_

Aizen merely shrugged his shoulders, his voice nonchalant. "So you finally figured it out. It doesn't matter anyway." He took several steps forward, and drew his blade from his green sheathe. "I'm still taking Rukia." Byakuya opened his mouth to speak, but then he felt the familiar dark spiritual pressure right hext to him, and he closed his mouth. _'Toushiro was correct. Ichigo's going to lose it if Rukia is taken from him.'_

He truend his head, and he saw Ichigo's eyes turn yellow. Ichigo gently lifted up Rukia and placed her in the arms of her brother. It was clear that he now trusted her elder brother. Rukia looked scared to death of him, but Ichigo kissed her forehead, and his voice became distorted as he spoke. **" Don't worry Rukia, he's turned over a new leaf. He won't let Aizen take you." **

Then his eyes narrowed as his now hollow self saw what was within his girlfriend. **"Rukia, hold still for a sec." **Rukia complied, not moving an inch. Ichigo flexed a hand, and everyone gasped as it became transparent. Then he reached into Rukia's chest, and the girl didn't even flinch. Then he withred his hand from within her ample bossom, and he held a small purple jewel. Rukia gasped as she saw the jewel. _'What was that thing doing inside me?'_

Ichigo turned to face Aizen, a grin on his face, and he held up the gem the sunlight reflecting off it. **"Is this what you're after?" **Before Aizen could say anything, Ichigo quickly chucked the gem to Yammamoto, who caught it and clutched it tightly within his hand. **"Well then, you ain't getting it now."**

Aizen frowned and raised his sword in front of him. "Foolish boy, do you really think that you can take me on?" In response, thre back his head and laughed. **"Not yet- **Then to everyone's surprise, dark energy flared around him, his spiritual pressure increasing his power tenfold. **"Now. Now I _know _I can take you on." **He spoke out of the corner of his umasked mouth to Byakuya, his voice firm. "**Byakuya. He's mine." **The Kuchiki was about object, when he saw Ichigo draw Zangetsu in front of him in a guard. He raised a blackeyebrow as he saw Zangetu's true form.

_'When did this boy achieve Bankai? If his spiritual pressure keeps going up, then he might- _Ichigo flash stepped forwad, and Aizen riased a finger. Ichiog had a bad feeling about that single digit, and he flash stepped around Aizen, and stabbed at his back. The move was expected by the captain, and the next thing Ichigo knew, he had a blade sticking out of his gut. The half hollow gagged up blood as the blade pierced him through, and forced himself to remain on his feet. _'No! I will not fall! I- _Aizen yanked the blade out of his gut, and in one smooth motion, raise it high over his head. '_I wanna win-_

"Goodbye, boy." An instant later, he brought the blade down. Time seemed to slow, and to Ichigo, it looke like Aizen was moving in slow motion. He tried to move, but found that his body wouldn't move. _'MOVE! I wanna win!- _The blade contniued its deadly descent. _'I... wanna...win... I HAVE TO...WIN!' _

Time sped up again, and the blade slammed down... right into Ichigo's hand. Aizen raised an eyebrow at this, and attempted to yank his blade free, but Ichigo had his head down, and he held it in a death grip, refusing to let it go. In a rare moment of emotion, Aizen's eyes narrowed in frustration. "Stupid brat! Let go!"

Ichigo chuckled at that, and talked to himself. **"I told you it'd be a pain if you got yourself killed." **Aizen's eyes widended as he saw amaske begin to grow on the upper left half of Ichigo's face. "What are you?! Have you found a way to surpass the limits of a soul reaper?!" Ichigo merely laughed. **"Who am I? I... HAVE NO NAME!" **His head snapped up, and he grinned malevolently as he clutched Zangetsu tightly in one hand.

Byakuay's eyes widened, and he immediatley took off out of the execution site. Shouting over his shoulder: "Everyone! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" They were all happy to comply, they felt the dark energy pouring out of the shinigami, and it truly frightened them. Grimmjow however, opted to stay and watch the fight. He waved over his shoulder, and gently pushed Orihime towards Chad.

The girl shook her head and dug her feet in, turning around and crossing her arms. "I'm staying here! If Kuroskaki-kun gets hurt, I have to be able to heal him!" Grimmjow REALLY didn't feel like arguing with the girl, so wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her in place. The girl turned beet red, but the man ignored it, his tone firm. "Fine. But you are staying _right here. _No running out there in the middle of the battle."

She gave an exasperated sigh, and intstinctively rested her head against his chest. "Fiiiiiiine." Now Grimmjow blushed at her unexpected action, but he kinda liked the feeling, so he let her be.

--

Ichigo cackled and slasehd Zangetsu down Aizen's chest, drawing a large bloody gash. The man winced in pain and staggered back. _'What happened? I had him on the ropes, and now he's fighting like a hollow!' _Ichigo shot forward again, and slashed Zangetsu in the air again adn again, and a horde of black Getsuuga's lashed out. Aizen's eyes widened at the sight of this as he flash stepped away. _'Black Getsuga? What is this boy?' _He suddenly felt his backward progress stopped by Ichigo, the youth firmly grabbin Aizen's shoulders. He paled and turned his head to see the shinigami grinning like a maniac. _'He's a madman!'_

Then the Tenshou's caught up with him, and slammed into the two of them.


	6. SURPRISE!

The black energy slammed into Aizen, creating a massive shockwave, which Grimmjow easily withstood, but it scared poor Inoue to death, and she wrapped her arms around his waist in fear. Sighing, Grmmjow picked her up bridal style and rose into the air, both of them looking away so they wouldn't be seen blushing.

--

Aizen stood panting as Gin and Kaname looked on in surprise. Aizne glared at the half hollow as the mask now covered the entire left side of his face. "So... you have broken the barrier... between shinigami and hollow." Hichigo grinned and pointed his sword at Aizen. "**Yeah, WE have**. **And the best part is**- the blade glowed a dark red as he prepared to let loose another Tenshou.

"**My partner _let _me come out. He's letting me fight on **_**purpose."** _He slashed Zangetsu forward, loosing a massive Tenshou wave and shouting as the mask started to grow over the right side of his face as well: "**AND THAT MEANS YOU'RE DEAD!" **

Aizen gave a tired sigh. "It appears that it is time for us to go." No sooner had he said this, than the black rift opened again, and three pillars of yellow light came down, one on him, one on Gin, and the last one on Kaname. The Tenshou slammed into the pillars, but nothing happened, the Tenshou dissolved as soon as it hit them. Hichigo snarled and sheathed his blade, knowing that the barrier was unbreakable for him. _'Damn! And I was so close to!'_

Sajin watched in disbelief as Kaname entered the darkness. _'Kaname, why are you doing this?!' _Furious with his friend, he shouted up to him. "Kaname! Why?! Why are you doing this?!" He indicated the chaos all around him with one hand, baring his teeth in a snarl as he shouted up to the blind man. "Do you call this justice?!"

Even though he was blind, Kaname looked down, his voice laced with sadness. "I am sorry Sajin, but this involves th eleast bloodshed. That is justice, sparing as many innocent lives as possible."

With that, he raised his head back up as they were drawn closer to the darkness.

As he pulled of his half mask, watching as Aizen and the others were drawn into the darkness. Ichigo regained control and shouted up at Aizen, his voice furious. "COWARD! COME DOWN HERE AND FIGHT!"

Ukitake was none too happy about htis as well. "Aizen! This is madness! You don't know what you're doing!" The 5th Division captain gave an annoyed sigh, as he removed his glasses and fixed his hair, making himself look entirely different. His tone was as always, nonchalant when he spoke:

"Yes I do. I am going to stand at the top of everything. You will see what I mean soon enough." Then he turned his focus on Ichigo, who was shouting curses up at him. "And as for you, I will see you again, and then we can finish our little fight. Now, farewell, Shinigami."

Ichigo spat up at him and prepared to leap up after him, but he felt Rukia's arms wrap around his waist in a death grip. Her voice was pleading and begging, and it instantly calmed the enraged shinigami. "No. Don't go. Stay here with me." Ichigo took a deep breath and let it out, cooling his volcanic temper.

He turned to face Rukia, and as soo as he did, she slammed her lips against his, whispering just before they impacted: "Because I'm staying with you." Then the two held on to one another tightly, determined to hold fast to the one that they loved.

Then Ichigo doubled over in pain, the gut wound finally kicking in, and blood pouring out of it as Zangetus could no longer hold it back. Rukia paled and screamed for a medic. "ICHIGO!"

--

The execution ground were a flurry of comotion as the squads rushed back and forth. Ichgio laid back on the ground bareky breathing as Orihime and the other medics worked on him. Rukia tightly held his hand, fearing the worst for her new boyfriend. "Ichigo... please don't leave me all alone!" Orihime felt herself begin to falter, and Grimmjow placed a hand on her shoulder, loaning her his energy.

She smiled up at him, her voice soft in the setting sun. "Thanks Grimm-kun." He blushed at the nickname she had taken to giving him and shook his head, a bemused smile on his face. _'Unbelievable. I let her give me a nickname.'_

Just then, Ichigo's eyes opened blearily and he moaned as his flesh continued to heal. "OUCH! Do you guys have to be so damn rough on me?!" Rukia smiled, tears of joy falling from her eyes as she saw that he was going to be allright. He grinned up at her and winked. "Come on Rukia. You know that I wouldn'y go and leave after I finally got a hold of ya."

Her smile turned into a wide grin as the medics picked up his stretcher and she followed closely behind. "Good. Because if you died, I'd bring you back just so I could kill you myself." Ichigo's laughter could be heard throughout the grounds.

--

Ichigo was set on the hospital bed, the moonlight shining through the open window. He gazed upon the moon and gave a tired sigh, his voice betraying his weariness. "Oh man, I'm bushed. Time to get some shut eye." And he did shut his eyes, but soon reopened them when he felt a familiar weight on his chest.

He sleepily opened a brown eye and saw a pair of grey eyes staring down at him. He grinned and ran a hand through her short hair. "Hey Rukia. Couldn't get any sleep?" She grinned and shoved him over on the bed, and scooted herself under the covers next to him. "No, I was just feeling lonely."

Ichigo grinned and wrapped an arm around her. "Are you still feeling lonely?" She smiled and nuzzled her head into his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat as she wrapped her arms around him. "Nope. Not at all."

But before they could fall asleep, ther was a knock at the door. Ichigo groaned and shouted: "What is it? It's late!" The door opened to reveal Ukitake, still clad in his captain outfit, his face serious. He held up the gem that Ichigo had removed from Rukia earlier.

"Ichigo, do you know what this is?" The substitute soul reaper shrugged. "It's a gigan right?" The captain smiled slightly and nodded, his voice still serious. "That is correct. But it was in Rukia for a reason. This gigan, it allows one to break down the barrier between a hollow and a shinigami. Ichigo, you obviously don't need it, because you have already surpassed a shinigami."

Then his gaze fell on Rukia, and his voice went from nonchalant to serious. "However, because Rukia had this in her for a short while, she too has the potential to become just as strong as you." Then he tossed Ichigo a substitute Soul Reaper badge. Ichigo already knew what it was, and tucked it into his pocket. Then Ukitake saw Ichigo's gaze fall on the arm that he had kept behin his back the entire time.

His voice was full of pride as he spoke his next words:

"And I have one more thing for you, Kurosaki..

Ukitake smiled and reached behins his back. When he brought his hand around, it held a captain's jacket. Ichigo's jaw dropped as soon as he saw it. "WHAT?! YOU'RE MAKING ME A CAPTAIN?!"

Ukitakt nodded, and tossed it to Ichigo. "Welcome to the 5th Division, Captain Ichigo Kurosaki.


	7. Ceremony

Rukia was dumbstruck as well. Then she was skeptic of this "Wait a sec. How did Ichigo become a captain?" Ukitake grinned an held up a finger. "It's one of the rules remember? Ichgio defeated Aizen in battle, then Aizen left so that means that Ichigo id officially a captain. There'll be an official ceremony tomorrow, followed by a party, but other than that, you're a Captain."

Ichigo pumped his fist into the air a wide grinon his now very much awake face. "So if I'm a captain, then does that mean I get to come back here?" Ukitake nodded his head. "That is correct." Ichigo grinned and rubbed his hands together as he said the next part.

"And who am I in charge of?"

Ukitake grinned widely at this, his voice full of mirth. "Let's see, Renji, Hinamori, Izuru, and Rukia." As soon as her name was mentioned, Rukia grinned and traced a finger up and down Ichigo's muscled chest, her voice playful. "I guess you're the boss of me now, huh?" Ichigo grinned at this and ran a hand through her black hair. "Yup. And you had better listen to your commanding officer."

She stuck out her tongue and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Ukitake, seeing where this was going, bid them goodnight and closed the door behind him, shaking his head, a bemused grin on his face. "It should be _very _interesting having him as a captain...

--

Inoue blearily opened her eyes and yawned as she sat up. _'What a day. I still can't believe Kurosaki-kun beat- _Then the memory crashed dwon upon her, and she remembered that he was in love with Rukia now. With a sad sigh, she stood up, her green nightgown swaying with her as she opened the door to her room and walked down the gray hallway, trying to make her way to the kitchen that Izuru had shown her earlier...

Five minutes later, she was hopelessly lost. Annoyed, she rounded a corner... and ran smack dab into a sleepy Grimmjow. They hit each other headfirst, and fell on their butts, holding their throbbing foreheads in a simultaneous "OUCH!" Inou was immediately up on her feet, apologizing profusely and Grimmjow laughed as the words sounded like:

"OMYGOSHI'MSOSORRYAREYOUOKAY?" He contniued to laugh, his body shaking as tears of mirth dripped down his face. "You should here yourself! You sound so freakin funny!"

Watching him laugh, Orihime was originally agnry at him, but then she giggled, that giggle turned into a chuckle, adn the she couldn't help it. She burst out laughing holdign her sides as she expressed her joy. They continued on like this for several minutes, and then finally their laughter died away.

Orihime reached down fro his hand, and helped him up, but for som ereason, fate had other plans for her. She did pull him to his feet, but she yanked to hard, and with a cry of surprise from both of them, they fell backwards, Grimmjow accidentally landing on top of her. They froze, noticing how _very _close they were, and their faces turned beet red.

Grimmjow jerked back as if he had been _burned. _

He waved his hands in front of him, his voice desperate and apologetic. "Ah, shit! I'm so sorry Hime-chan!" Then he realized that he had just given her a nickname, and he clapped his hands over his mouth to prevent himself from saying anything else. _'Ah crap! She's gonna hate me now! So much for getting close to her..._

Orihime was deep in thought as well. _'He called me Hime-chan! No one's ever done that before, not even Kurosaki-kun! And Grimm-kun is so nice, kind and gentle... _Her face turned beet red as she recognized where her thoughts were going_ ACK! Am I falling for him already? I might as well see if he's taken..._

Her soft voice interrupted his thoughts of embarassment. "Don't be sorry. I like the nickname." His blue eyes widened in surprise, and if possible, he turned an even deeper shade of red. She giggled and rose to her feet, scooting her voluptuos body closer to his toned and muscular one. Intsintively, he backed up, but bumped against the grey wall. The poor arrancar was quite confused. He never really knew any other girls aside from Nel in Hueco Muendo, and as a result, he had _very _little experience when it came to wooing them.

So he said the first thing that came to his mind. "Er.. you do?" She inched her way closer, and he noticed this, raising his blue eyebrows in surprise. "Uh... what are you doing?" She hung her hea dnow, her confidence gone, and mumbled something. Grimmjow barely heard it. "Say again? I didn't-

Exasperated now, she shouted it rapidly: "ISAIDDOYOUHAVEAGIRLFRIENDWHEREYOURFROM?!" Then, realizing that she had shouted it out loud, she eeped and covered her mouth, her own face turning a pale shade of pink as she somehow managed to control her blush. Grimmjow banged his head against the wall as he attempted to jump back in surprise. He managed to stammer out:

"N-No I'm single." THAT made her face brighten visibly, and before she knew what she was doing, she rested her head against his chest, just like before, this time stammering out he rown response. "W-Well t-then, I g-guess t-that m-makes you a-available." NOW Grimmjow fianlly caught on to what she was saying, and he managed a nervous grin.

"Are you askin gme to be your boyfriend?" The ornage haired girl managed a stiff nod. Now Grimmjow did have _some _experiecne with girls, so he had a pretty good idea of what to do next. He placed his hand under her chin and gently lifted it up, noticing the shocked look on her face. So, before he could think about it, or the consequences, he leanedd won and gently kissed her, keeping his lips on top of hers and waiting for a reaction.

And boy did he get one.

Orihime immediatley pressed her lips softly against his, and gently pressed herself agaisnt him, their bodies leaning up against the wall. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and some instinct told him to wrap his hands around her waist. He nervously did so, gently placing them on her curved waist.

Surprisingly for him, she seemed to like that, and gave a soft whimper as she slid her tonuge into his mouth, greatly enjoying the kiss, as did he. Her thoughts were full of joy as the two unlikely lovers enjoyed their moment. _'Wow, he's such a gentleman. I think I'll let Rukia_ _have Kurosaki-kun..._

_--_

Ichigo rolled out of bed, remembering the time he had to show up for his ceremony. Surprisingly, Rukia seemed to have gotten up early, as she was no longer in his bed. Ichgio glanced at the clock adn saw that it was 8:00. He had 30 minutes to show up. With a shrug, The teen donned his black kimono, and slipped his captain's jacket over it. and looked at the Kanji on the back of it with an amused grin on his face.

_'Sword? I like it. Fits me perfectly.'_ Then, finishing his morning routine, he opened the door, slung Zangetsu over his back, and took of to the courtyard. _'Hmmm. I wonder who's gonna replace Gin and Kaname..._

He would soon find out.

--

He arrived int the courtyard, surprised to see that al th eother captains were already there. He glance at his watch, and saw that he still had 10 minutes. The his stomach growled, and the poor Shinigami realized that he had forgotten breakfast. He ignored it, despite its growling protests for food. _'SHADDUP STOMACH!'_

It growled again, this time louder.

_'Oh man, I wish I knew were the kitchen was! Then I coulda grabnbed some chow!' _He looked up to see a plate full of steaming hot pancakes flying at him, along with a fork, knife, and syrup. He quickly caught the objects, then looked to see who had thrown them. It was Soi Fong, the woman giving him one of her rare warm smiles.

Ichigo smiled at her then woofed down his food, restraining himself from belching. _'Ah, much better!'_

Then his watch beeped, and the ceremony began, with Yamamato taking his place at the hastily erected pulpit.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, you know that we need a replacement for the former squad five captain Aizen, and we know perfectly well that you are the only one to defeat him in battle. Therefore, with careful consideration we hereby decide to make you the new captain of squad five to hopefully allow more partnerships between substitute shinigamis as well as fill our empty position." Ichigo grinned as he turned to face each of the captains' assembled and grinned at Soi Fon gand Kenpachi, who grinned in return.

His tone was reverant now as he spoke, just one simple sentence. "I'm honored, and I'll do my best to replace that monster Aizen." Yamamoto lightly smiles his eye crinkling in a smile. "I see you have some manners thars good. You'll make a fine captain. Now allow me to introduce the replacement captains for Gin and Kaname...


	8. Going Home

Ichigo turned his head as the door was opened, the light revealing one figure. _'I wonder who the new captains are- WHAT?!' _His jaw dropped as he saw Rukia. "No way. How did you- She flash stepped forward, and was at his side in an instant, a wide grin on her face. "What's wrong? Afraid to have your girlfriend as a captain?" Soi Fong's face fell at this revelation, her heart shattering at her feet.

_'He's taken? Aw man... _Then a thought hit her, and she smiled softly at the possibility of it. _'Its worth a shot..._

_--_

Yamamato watched as the two new captains chatted in the courtyard, and noticed the third and final new captain approaching them. He turned to Ukitake, a smile on his aged face. "Well, it would seem that the future of Soul society is in good hands thanks to our new Captain Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki. They have done us a great service, finding the device to break down the barrier between a hollow and a shinigami. And Ichigo already had the potential to surpass even me in power, but now, he may become the strongest shinigami ever to exist."

He looked around the courtyard, and failed to find Grimmjow. He raised an eyebrow at this, and turned to Ukitake. "Where is th eman that fell out of the black rift before?" Ukiatke shrugged as he looked at a clipboard. "We checked him out, and it seems that he's a fusion of a hollow and shinigami just like Kurosaki. And yet, he's as gentle as can be whenever he's around that orange haired human girl."

The elderley man nodded his head sagely at this. "That is good to hear. Then he should be sent with the rest of them to earth, should we ever need his aid in addition to Kurosaki's." Then he looked down at Ichigo.

He smiled yet again as he saw Rukia whisper something in the teen's ear, making the orange haired youth shout in surprise. "Yes, it is a good thing indeed that we made him a captain, and with that man, Grimmjow at their side, they will be safe from Aizen for sure."

Ukitake knew that was a safe fact, seeing as the man was the number six of the legendary arrancar.

Ukitake gave a small smile to this as well, his voice calm and certain. "Indeed, it would be better to have him as an ally instead of an enemy. But what about Renji Abarai? I'm sure he'll make a fine replacement for Gin."

Yamamoto nodded and watched Renji approach the two and saw Rangiku sneaking up on the redhead from far off. "Indeed he shall. And Rangiku seems happy about it as well...

--

Ichigo heard the sound of footsteps, and turned from his surprising conversation with Rukia. His jaw dropped when he saw Renji, in full Captain uniform, and he jabbed a finger at the former Lieutenant, his tone quite surprised. "EH?! WHEN THE HELL DID YOU BECOME A CAPTAIN RENJI?!" Renji saw the jacket on his friend, and his jaw dropped as well. "ME?! WHE DID YOU BECOME A CAPTAIN?!" Then he tooka deep breath to calm himself and he spoke again as he smiled at his friend, his tone happy.

"So they made you a captain for beating Aizen?" Ichigo recovered heimself as as well, and gave his friend a thumbs up and replied ina nonchalant tone. "Yup. And they made you a captain for _almost _beating Byakuya?" Renji nodded and opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, smiling as he sensed Rangiku behind him. He held up one finger, indicating that he wanted them to be quiet. Then with a chuckle, he flash stepped away.

Rangiku jumped in surprise, and looked this way and that, but didn't find him until he reappeared behind her and grabbed her by the waist, the woman giving a soft 'eep' of surprise as he did so.

Renji's voice was full of mirth as he spoke. "So, ya thought ya could sneak up on me? Your captain ain't that slow Missy. Now you have to pay the price for trying it." With that, he gently dug his fingers into her skin, tickling her and making her burst into giggles.

"Stop Ren-kun! I give!" He shook his head and tickled her harder. "Nope. Say it. Whose yor boss?" She managed to say it amidst fits of giggles. "You are, Captain!"

Renji finally stopped, and spun her around to face him, his tone playful. "Good. Now... He ran a hand across her waist, and she repressed a shiver. "Now, come with me. Your punishment isn't over yet." With that, he led her away, hand in hand with the still giggling orange haired woman.

Ichigo caught his drift as they disappeared from sight, and his jaw dropped. _'When the hell did he get so cocky? He's acting like a pimp!_' Having grown tired of this, he set out with Rukia to find Yoruichi so they could finally go home.

--

Soi Fong smiled as she finished her conversation with her old friend, her tone eager. "So I can go with you? Back to the Human world?" The Godess of Flash raised an eyebrow at the eagerness of her friend, her tone amused. "Say, why _do _you want to come back with us anyway?" The navy haired woman did something that Yoruichi had _never _seen her do.

She blushed.

She hung her head as she did so and held her arms around herself while she looked down. Once again, she surprised her friend when she spoke, her tone sfot and warm. "Because... I... think... I have a crush on him. Our new captain." THAT got Yoruichi's attention, and she grinned, her yellow eyes flashing in the sunlight.

"You have a crush on Ichigo?" The captain nodded meekly, and Yourichi slapped her own forehead in exasperation. "You do know he loves Rukia, right?" Soi Fong nodded meekly again, and traced her foot into the dirt, drawing a small heart. Yoruichi was dumbfounded at this sudden cahnge in personality from her usually stubborn and prideful friend. So she followed up on her questiopn with another.

"Why do you suddenly have a crush on him? You barely even know him.

Soi Fong looked up, her face still shy as she spoke about the new captain. "I know that he loves Rukia... But it's just that he's so strong and he never gives up. He's always smiling and cheering everyone up. I couldn't hel it. I guess I sort fell for him the moment he got here, when I first saw him. And I thought that maybe...

But before she could finish, Ichigo's voice called out.

"Hey Soi Fong! Hey Yoruichi!" The navy haired woman stiffened her face blushing a pale pink as she controlled her blush somehow. Yoruichi gave a sad sigh, knowing that this was gonna be trouble...

--

Ukitake pointed them toward the glowing gate, and Ichigo raised an eyebrow, confusion written all over his face. " Let me get this straight. We just step through that, and we'll end up home again?" Ukitake nodded, then tossed Ichigo and Rukia a pair of soul pagers, which they deftly snatched out of the air. The long haired captain looked over the ragtag group and smiled to himself as he waved them off.

Ichigo stepped toward the gate, but Yoruichi held up a hand. "Hold it. Orihime's not here, and I promised Soi Fong that she could tag along. The poor thing's tired of being cooped up here in Soul Society-

Just then, the navy haired woman appeared, gasping for breath as she finished her flash step. She saw the amused look on Ichigo's face, and blushed a pale pink, which the Kurosaki did not fail to notice this time. _'Hello. What do we have here? She has a crush on me?' _He turned his gaze to Rukia, who shrugged as she saw it as well. Apparently his girfriend didn't see the navy haired girl as much of a threat.

Soi Fong saw hsi thoughtfull expression, and mistook it for one on displeasure.She squeaked out her response, her voice a shy: "SORRY!I slept in! SORRYSORRYSORRY!"

To make matters even more confusing, Grimmjow arrived with Orihime held in his arms, bridal style. Ukitake raised an eyebrow at the strange man holding the girl so tenderly. In fact she was still sleeping, dressed in her green nightie and otherwise unready to go. Then his gaze fell on the packs that Grimmjow had strapped to his back, and he relized that the arrancar had packed for her.

_'Unbelievable. I never expected THOSE two to fall in love already.' _Then he saw the apologizing Soi Fong, and he raised a white eyebrow. _'And it would appear tha Soi Fong has fallen for the young Kurosaki. He's gonna have one hell of a hard time when they get back to earth..._

Grimmjow gently shook the sleeping girl in his arms, his voice soft and gentle. "Hey. It's time to go. Wake up, Hime-chan."

The girl blearily opened her eyes, and her grey eyes met his blue. She stretched in his powerful arms and yawned. "Already? Well then- She leapt down form his arms and grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently and pointing at the gate with her free hand-

"Lets go home!"

**PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE! **


	9. Stammer

Ichigo cursed under his breath as the ran like hell through the corridor. "Yoruichi! Why the hell are we being chased by another Hell butterfly?!" The Godess of Flash shrugged as the group outdistanced the massive thing. "So what? We can easily outrun it." They saw a light through the corridor, and Grimmjow grinned as they neared it. "All right! We're almost-

They finally neared the light, and burst through it-

High above the ground.

Grimmjow looked down at the empty air, and sighed in annoyance, grabbing Orihime bridal style before she could fall. The orange haired girl smiled up at him, the relief evident on her face and in her voice. "Thanks Grimm-kun. I knew you wouldn't let me fall."

The arrancar smiled down ar her, his voice full of the mirthful tone he only used around her. "Of course. Why would I let my shinigami princess fall to her death? That wouldn't be very nice now, would it?"

She giggled and nuzzled her head into his chest.

Ichigo looked down as well, and Rukia shouted in surprise as she began to fall, only for him to grabb her hand to prevent her from falling. Then she gave a startled eep as she was slung on top of his shoulders, his neck between her legs. He grinned up at her as she glared daggers down at him.

"BAKA! I could've fell to my death!"

Ichigo chuckled, a wide grin on his face and amusement laced within his voice. "I know. The look on youe face was priceless!"

She angrily smacked him on the forehead, her tone thick with fals annoyance. "Why does my boyfriend have to be such a baka?"

The Ryoka winked up at her, a goofy grin on his face. "Would you have me any other way?" Before she could answer, Urahara appeared next to them, a wide grin on his face as he sat on his odd floating carpet thing, Ishida and Chad next to him. He had his usual cheery attitude when he spoke:

"So, it looks like You two are Captains now." He flashed them a thumbs up, the grin wide on his face still. "Nice job Ichigo. I never knew you had it in you to go toe to toe with Aizen." Then his brown eyes fel on Rukia, still on Ichigo's shoulders, and the former shinigami put two and two together, jabbing his finger at them, and laughing out loud.

"All right! Ichigo, you finally told her your true feelings! I am so proud of you!" Then he saw Yoruichi out of the corner of his eye, indicating Soi Fong with a jerk of her head. He turned his gaze upon the normally prideful and arrogant captain, and his blonde eyebrows shot up as he saw the looks of sadness on her face as she watched Rukia lean down from Ichigo's shoulders to give him a quick kiss.

_'Well what do we have here? It looks like Soi Fong has developed a crush on our young Ryoka. I wonder how Rukia is going to take this, after all, I know she doesn't like to share. _He rubbed his hands together, and chuckled gleefully._ 'This should be VERY interesting..._

He gave a sigh as Yoruichi pointed to Ichigo and then Soi Fong. The former shinigami motioned for the Godess of Flash to sit beside him, as he was tired of mouthing words and making gestures.

The tan woman sighed and drifted over to his floating cloth. She fel back on it, and stretched her arms out on the cloth, just like a cat would. Urahara raised an eyebrow at this, and she shot him an inquisitive stare, her voice laced with amusement for her blond boyfriend. "Something wrong, Kisuke?"

The man grinned and adjusted his hat. "Nope. Just go ahead and keep stretching. No problmes here." He winked at her as he said this, and in an instant, she had her arms around his, her head resting on his strong shoulders. She let out a sigh as she relaxed her weary body against his. "I'm tired. Let's get everyobdy home already so I can rest easy."

She closed her eyes and waved to Soi Fong, her voice weary and exhausted from their long and hard trip. "Hey, you're gonna have to stay with Ichigo. We're kinda out of room at Kisuke's place, waht withe Renji, Rangiku and Toushiro bunking there now."

Soi Fong blushed a pale pink at this, still hovering in midair as she truend to face the Ryoka, her voice hesitant and shy. "But, would that be okay with you... Kurosaki-k-kun?"

EVERYONE noticed that. Rukia's jaw dropped, and so did Ichigo's as they knew that only Orihime had used that nickname before. That made it official. Now _everyone _knew about her crush, and the poor cpatain turned beet red now.

She rapidly waved her hands in front of her and rapidly stammered out an apology. "SORRYIWON'TCALLYOUTHATIFYOUDON'TWANTMETO!" She hung her head in shame as she finished, feeling absolutely miserable. _'Now everyoen knows... He's going to hate me now... _Tears started to form in her eyes as she finished the sad thought. Much to her surprise, Ichigo chuckled. Her head snapped up, the tears vanishing in an instant.

_'Did he just-_

Her thoughs were confirmed, as he threw back his head, and laughed out loud, deep from his gut. He managed to choke out his response between the fits of mirth, and her face lit up like a neon sign.

"Ah, Soi Fong! You're so _cute _when you stammer like that! I love it!" He opened his eyes as he laughed now, looking up at Rukia to see if she was gonna kill him for letting the words slip out. Intead, he saw her raise an eyebrow, the unspoken message ringing in his ears like a bell. _'You better have meant that buddy. Cause if you're doing that just to screw with me- _she cracked her neck left then right, and Ichigo paled for a moment as he laughed. _'Yikes. It's a good thing I meant every word then.'_

Grinning again, he extended his hand to Soi Fong, his voice warm, and his eyes full of mirth. "Take my hand. I'll show ya where we live." Soi Fong had to repress a squeal of joy, and she silently thanked whatever deity had done this for her.

She gently placed her hand in his, marveling at how warm it felt. Ichigo grinned at her and spoke yet again, his voice laced with amusement. "Hang on.

The air blurred around them, as he prepared to test out his new flash step. Soi Fong's eyes widened, and she grabbed his arm tightly. Rukia merely grinned, and wrapped her arms slightly tighter around his neck. She grinned down at him, and now the Ryoka thanked the gods for somehow quelling the usually volcanic wrath of his fellow captain.

Then, he took a step forward, and they disspeared from sight. _'My dad is gonna have a cow when he sees this.'_


	10. Home

**SORRY I'M UPDATING SO RANDOMLY! I HAVE A FRICKIN VIRUS, AND I STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH MY FRICKIN ENGLISH AND TECH FINALS! AAAAAAAAGH! BUT... SINCE I'M ILL, YA'LL CAN EXPECT PLETNY OF CHAPTERS, INCLUDING THE NEXT ONE FOR BELEIVE, WHICH GAVE ME HELL UNTIL RECENTLY/ **

**ANYWAY... HERE YE BE! :)**

Ichigo hesitantly peered through the front door to his home, and looked left than right, seeing nothing in the lit hallway. Soi Fong had no idea what he was doing, and she cocked her head to one side, hair swaying to the right as she did so. Confusion was written all over her face and in her voice as she spoke. "Ichigo, what are you-

Ichigo froze as he heard her speak, and spun around, a finger to his lips, mad as hell. "SH! Keep it down or he'll hear you!" Still not understanding, Soi Fong spoke again. "Huh? Who will hear us? You live here don't you?" Rukia's grey eyes widened, and she wisely dove for cover as she heard the sound of feet pounding down the stairs.

_'Oh boy. Here he comes!'_

Ichigo paled as he finally heard the man finish his rapid and heavy descent downstairs. He knew that he was in for A LOT of pain. It was evident in his voice as he shoved Soi Fong into Rukia's arms. "Oh crap. Here he-

Isshin came flying out of the door, his leg raised as he prepared to drive his boot into the face of his eldest son, a gleeful expression on his face and in his voice as he shot forward.

"HELLOOOOOOO ICHIGOOOOOOO!"

The girls winced as the boot rammed itself into the Ryoka's face. _'Ouch. That HAD to hurt..._

Then Rukia laughed aloud as the two began their customary father-son brawl, their scuffle taking them into the house as the bemused Rukia followed after them, Soi Fong shyly trailing after her as the two went at it. To most people, it seemd like they were trying to kil each other, but in reality, as Rukia had foud out, this was sort of their bonding time, to see who was stronger. Father or son.

--

(An hour later)

Ichigo grunted in annoyance, grabbing Isshin by the arm and chucking him into the wall, finally subduing his father. With an exasperated sigh, he rose to his feet, glaring at his KO'ed dad. "Will ya cut it out already?! You're embarrassing me!" Isshin shook his head, clearing the cobwebs, and leaping to his feet. He opened his mouth to give his son a lecture on being prepared, but then his gaze fell on Rukia and a blushing Soi Fong.

His brown eyes widened, and his jaw dropped at the sight of them, and the father turned to his son and gave him a thumbs up, a wide grin on his face. "Well done my son! Nabbing _two _girls instead of one! Your mother would be so proud of you!"

Now Ichigo turned beet red, and Soi Fong surprised him, by bursting into a giggling fit, pointing at the Ryoka as she held her side with one hand, her voluptuous body shaking with laughter. "Ichigo! You look so cute now!" Ichgio guffawed at her sudden outburst, his jaw dropping to the floor, as did Rukia's.

Then, he surpressed a laugh of his own, as Soi Fong fell on her butt holding her sides and laughing her head off. But it was no good. Soon the house was filled with the combined laughter of Ichigo, Soi Fong, Rukia, and Isshinn.

--

Ichigo sighed as he dug through his fridge, trying to find something for Soi Fong to eat. He had already found some pasta for Rukia, who was more than happy to give him a kiss for finding her favorite earth food. But he was STILL having no luck finding anything for the navy haired woman.

_'Come on... There's gotta be something...AHA! This should do it!' _With a triumpahnt grin on his face, he pulled out a piece of cherry pie, that his sisters had forced him to make several weeks ago. His tone was cheery as he gave Soi Fong the pies, not noticing the confused look on her face. "Here! This is a pie, I hope you- Then he noticed the look on her face, and his jaw dropped.

"You have got to be kidding me." He pulled up a chair, and placed it between Rukia and Soi Fong, leaning on it backwards so he could face the navy haired girl. He carefully dug into the pie, using his fork and knife to cut her a small slice of it, which he held up to her mouth, his tone kind, and his gesture making the girl blush pink. "I-I- I'm sorry! I have never been here before! Please forgive me!"

The Ryoka shook his head, a bemused smile on his face as he spoke. "Sorry? What are ya talkin about? You have nothing to be sorry about. Rukia was exactly the same way when she first- OW!"

He found himself interrupted as the Kuchiki drove her elbow into his ribs, grinning as he cried out in pain. Then she adopted a fake apologetic look that Ichigo knew VERY well by know. "Oh! I'm sorry Ichigo! I guess my arm slipped!" The Kurosaki teen shot her an angry glare, tone annoyed as he momentarily focused on her. "My ass you did! That was on purpose Rukia!" She glared at him in response, before sticking out her tongue, her tone pouty as she manipulated Ichigo's one weakness.

The puppy dog pout.

"I'm sorry Ichigo... I'll never do it again. Please don't be mad at me... Fake tears brimmed in her violet eyes, and Ichigo covered his own brown ones one hand, the other still holding the fork, which now rested on the table as he held it, the piece of pie still firmly in its grip.

He looked away now, his tone annoyed. "Fine, fine, fine! Just stop giving me that look! You KNOW I can't stand it!" He heard Rukia giggle, and then hesitantly peeked out of his fingers dreading the thought that she was still giving him the look. But instead, he saw her calmly eating her pasta, stifling a giggling fit as she did so.

Ichigo gave a relieved sigh, then turned back to Soi Fong, who nervously opened her mouth for him to place the piece in. Ichigo slowly did so, and then pulled the utensil away, and left the piece in her mouth. The navy hiared captain chewed donw thoughtfully, the her grey eyes lit up and she gave a soft moan of ecstasy as she savored the taste.

"WOW! This is great!"

The Ryoka merely looked on, a happy smile on his face. "You like it? After all I did make it myself."

She eagerly nodded her head, and then her smile disappeared into a nervous one as she saw that he had still not pulled his face away from hers. _'Why is he still so close? Does he want me to-_Then her eyes lit up with the realization, and she whispered the words out. "Rukia, would you mind if I-I-I-I- She closed her eyes, and for the third time that night, she spoke rapidly, the two fellow captains barely making out her words." WoulditbeokayifIkissedIchigo?!"

Rukia's eyes clouded over, then she saw the pleading look Ichigo was giving her. With a sigh, she relented motioning with her hand. "Fine. But just remember you, Ichigo is mine too." The woman smiled softly as she said this, then felt Ichigo press his lips against hers.


	11. Understanding

Soi Fong couldn't help it herself. She gave a soft whimper as Ichigo kissed her, gently pressing his lips against hers, and sending waves of ecstasty through her body. _'Mmm... wow... he tastes like...oranges..._

Then ever so slowly, she reached across the table, to wrap her arms around his neck, holding his head there, and deepening the kiss, as she angled her head to the left slightly, sliding her tongue in, surprising the Ryoka, who wasn't used to seeing her try such a bold move. _'Hello! I guess she can be confident when she wants to..._

Isshin poked his head around the corner, making sure that he was not seen by his son, who, (luck y for Isshin) didn't see him, as he closed his brown eyes and streched his neck forward slightly, responding to her timid gesture, making the navy haired woman gain _heaps _of confidence, as she pulled away a small smile on her face as she blushed a bright pink, voice still slightly hesitant. "Was that okay? Did you like it?"

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes and nodded, a lopsided grin on his face now as he spoke. "What's not to like? That was one of the best kissess I've ever had in a LONG time." The captain's smile increased tenfold as her face lit up with happiness, chirping out her response. "Yay! I'm glad that you liked it!"

Ichigo quirked an orange eyebrow at her cheery behavior, but before he could inquire about it, he felt Rukia tug on his sleeve, and cough to draw his attention to her, causing him to place one hand on the table, as he slowly turned his head, knowing all to well what the Kuchiki wanted. "Okay-

Rukia smirked as he twisted his hand, the one on the table, and spun on one heel, rapidly turning to face her and bringing the other arm around to hold her by the flat of her back, as he tilted her down, much like one would in a dance. Rukia grinned at the sudden move, her violet eyes sparkling with amusement as she teased the Ryoka. "That's some pretty fancy footwork Ichigo. Show me else what you got." Then before he could do so, she jerked her head up, her lips meeting his halfway as he leaned his head down, then pulled her back up, pushing off from the table as he found himslef pressed against the fridge, several magnets dropping to the floor from the forceful shove, as he kept his brown eyes wide open, staring into the deep violet of her own eyes. _'This is SO weird. I'm dating two incredibly beautiful, and incredibly DANGEROUS women, at the same time, and they haven't tried to kill each other yet. Must be my lucky day.'_

Isshin's jaw dropped as he saw his son kissing Rukia now, the girl's hands running through the flaming hair of his eldest son as she gave a muffled laugh at the antics of Ichigo, the Ryoka gently squeezing her curved hips, Rukia's face turning a pale pink as they slowly shut their eyes, swept up in the moment. Isshin had to forcefully bite his lip now, to keep form bursting into the kitchen to congratulate his son, as Karin peeked her head around the corner next to him, a skeptical expression on her face. And an instant later, her eyes got as wide as dinner plates, as she ducked back behind the corner, her father unaware of what was about to happen, too wrapped up in pride for his son. _'That's my boy! He's a real ladies man! I'm so-_

Then Zangetsu was heaved at the proud father, the blade's point chopping off the top portion of his black hair, as he saw Soi Fong holding the cloth, indicating that she had chucked it at him thinking that he was an intruder. But as soon as she saw that it was Isshin, she turned beet red once more, and bowed deeply apologizing for the now large hole in the wall, and for his new buzz cut. "Sorry Isshin-san! I thought you were an intruder,so I just threw the blade without looking!" The Kurosaki paled as he ran a hand through his now MUCH shorter hair, scared to death of the shy woman now. _'Ye gods! I wonder what would've happened if she had AIMED that thing!' _Not wishing to find out, the former captain wisely turned tail and ran upstairs, pale as a ghost now, as Karin poked her head back around the corner, a camera now held in hand as she silently recorded the scene, planning to sell the tapes for cash, until Zangetsu shot through the wall again, and pierced the camera through, shattering it, and forcing Karin to scram or get caught in the act by her brother...

_--_

(An hour later)

Ichigo flopped onto bed, as Rukia pulled open the door to the closet and hopped in ready to hit the hay, blowing him a kiss as she shut the door, her voice echoing out from behind it as she slipped on her purple nightgown. "Night Ichigo. You and Soi-Fong can share the bed tonight, but I call dibs on it tomorrow." Then the Ryoka slapped his forhead leaping back up as Rukia slid the closet door shut, realizing something. Soi-Fong didn't have anything to change into, and she was STILL wearing her tattered Shinigami clothing from the battle with Aizen, having forgotten to change before they left. And here he was getting ready to go to bed!

She noticed his inquisitive stare and shyly tented her fingers, making him laugh at the gesture, and give her a gentle kiss on the cheek, gently squeezing her shoulder as he did so, LOVING the plae pink blush that still appeared on her face. "Hold on a sec. I need to find you something else wear. Before that rag tag out fit of yours falls off." Soi-Fong blushed pink at that, and gave a small bow to him as he began to root through his drawers. "Thank you. Thats very kind of you."

Ichigo murmured a "your welcome" as he looked for something for her to wear, sifting through his t-shirts and jeans as he searched. "There's gotta be something in here... Bingo!" He saw a pair of dark blue sweat shorts, apparently Karin's, his dad having messed up the laundry. Again. _'Jeez pop. You really are no good at doing that kinda thing..._

He tossed her the shorts, and she gratefully took them, catching a large green shirt that he threw a second later, the shorts held in her right hand, the shirt in her left. Then she noticed that Ichigo had his back to her, picking up the clothes he had tossed about the room, and the woman assumed that he was giving her a chance to get dressed. With a nervous shrug, she slipped of her baggy pants, exposing a pair of dark panties as she slipped on Karin's shorts, the fabric clinging to her boyd snugly, but not to tightly, as she reached her hands up to undo her long braids, easily untying the knotted hair, and letting the now smooth locks fall over her back.

She then quickly removed her shirt, tossing the ragged halter top over her shoulder, and exposing a dark blue strapless bra beneath that held against her ample bossom snugly. But just as she raised her hands over her head, to slip on the oversized shirt, Ichigo turned around, and his eyes fell on her toned, voluptuos body, illuminated in the moonlight, her now unbraided hair cascading down her back, and stopping just past her shoulder blades. His eyes strayed over her for just a second to long, then he calmly clapped a hand tightly over his eyes, and apologized for his wandering eyes, the poor woman blushing a bright pink now.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to look. My bad Soi-Fong. I won't-

Despite her major embarrassment, she decided that it was far too hot to wear the large shirt, as it felt like a good 80+ degrees, even witht he window open. And so, praying that she didn't regret this she tossed the shirt under the bed, and slowly crossed the room, reaching for his hand in the moonlight, her other hand placing itslef over the one on his face, keeping it there as she gently tugged him forward. "C-Come on Ichigo. Its getting late, and I d-d-don't want to sleep by myself."

Ichigo shrugged as she turned him around, the Ryoka getting the hint that she didn't want him looking, as he grabbed a pair of black pajama bottoms from the floor, and threw of his street clothes, changing into it instead, trying to ignore the surprised gasp from Soi-Fong as he revealed his muscular body. Then he felt her pull her hand out of his own, and heard the springs of his bed creak as she lay down on it.

With a yawn, he turned to face her, and wisely kept his eyes closed still, not opening them until he fully stretched himself out on the bed, and only did he open them, staring at the ceiling, as he felt Soi-Fong's bare, slender stomach gently press against his toned one, her hip resting against his waist as she rolled over, scooting her body closer to his, and giving a sof sigh as her realizing that his fellow captain must've forgone the shirt, due to more than just the heat. "So, are you happy with this? Living here I mean."

He got his answer as she nuzzled her head into his chest, reaching up and running a hand through his flaming hair. "Yes. As long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter where I live." Now she rolled over onto her stomach, shifting her body forward and bringing her face close to his, her breath hot on his face, her nose brushing against his, her voice low and soft for what she was to say next. "Ichigo, the truth is... well, I think I've fallen in love with you." The next thing she knew, he had gently placed a hand on her cheek, and she insitintively nuzzled her face into it, making a soft purring sound as his other hand gently scratched her under her chin, tickling her neck. "That tickles Ichigo."

He smiled as he removed his hand from her neck, and now ran it slowly down her back, his fingers brushing against her barre skin, and making her shiver as they brushed the back of her bra, the woman giving out a soft moan as he wrapped the arm around her waist, preparing to pull her in for a kiss. "And I love you, just as much as I Love Rukia."

Then she could hold back no more, and she gave him the brightest smile she had ever given anyone, and leaned down to give him a fierce kiss, her hands running through his orange hair, as the shy shinigami kissed her Ryoka boyfriend, slowly and shyly, gently angling her head to the right as they slowly kissed, in no hurry, just enjoying each other, as a cool night breeze blew in...


End file.
